How Gore Cheated American Troops Serving Overseas

NewsMax.com
Wednesday, May 9, 2001

Part one of Bill Sammons blockbuster book, "At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election," revealed how the networks cost George W. Bush at least 10,000 votes in Florida by making an early - and completely false - call giving the states 25 electoral votes to Al Gore. Al Gore, who kept insisting that "every vote be counted, robbed American troops serving their country overseas of their right to vote, according to Bill Sammon's investigation of Gores shameful, underhanded fight for Floridas crucial electoral votes. To illustrate the depths to which Gore sank in his effort to steal the election from George W. Bush, Sammon tells the shocking story of Navy Lt. John Russell, a heroic career officer who had just fought to help save the crew of USS Cole after it was bombed by terrorists in Yemen. He tells how Russell was rousted out of bed days after the election to take a phone call from his wife that stunned him. His vote, she told him, had been disqualified. He had been deprived of his right to vote "Mrs. Russell explained that she had just gotten home when she received a phone call from a woman at the Duval County elections office who said her husbands absentee ballot in the presidential election had been disqualified at the urging of Democratic lawyers on behalf of Vice President Al Gore, the partys presidential nominee, Sammon wrote. "A few minutes later, Mrs. Russell told her husband, she got a call from a man with the Republican Party. He confirmed that Lt. Russells ballot had been disqualified along with hundreds of others that the Democrats had protested. Russells reaction was heated, he told Sammon. "I was hot. Here I am, deployed overseas. Ive done everything I can to cast my ballot properly. And I find out my vote doesnt count because of a lousy postmark even though they received it before Election Day." In early November, Russell was in the midst of a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean aboard the USS Tarawa. His ship had been detoured to Yemen because of the terrorist attack on the Cole. On arrival this dedicated officer volunteered to take charge of a tugboat to move the damaged ship to a safer mooring. Knowing that the mail was slow and undependable, he took pains to mail his

doesnt count because of a lousy postmark even though they received it before Election Day." In early November, Russell was in the midst of a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean aboard the USS Tarawa. His ship had been detoured to Yemen because of the terrorist attack on the Cole. On arrival this dedicated officer volunteered to take charge of a tugboat to move the damaged ship to a safer mooring. Knowing that the mail was slow and undependable, he took pains to mail his ballot early enough so that it would reach Florida by Election Day. Russell tells how he had arranged for the Duval County elections office to send him an absentee ballot. "One of the things Ive learned when youre deployed overseas is the time it takes the mail to get back," Russell told Sammon. "I dont care how quickly you throw it in the mailbox. It can take up to 30 days to get back to the States. So as soon as I got my absentee ballot, I got it witnessed [and] dated, and threw it back in the mailbox." His ballot arrived at the Duval County elections office Nov. 6, the day before the election, about the same time he was helping play host to the grief-stricken sailors of the Cole and allowing investigators to take over his office on the Tarawa. Russell, who is proud of the fact that he had voted in every election since he was old enough to cast a ballot, was infuriated to learn from his wife on Nov. 18 that his ballot had been thrown out by Gores lawyers on the grounds that because it lacked a postmark he could have sent it after the election - despite the fact that it had arrived the day before the election. "Oh, I was torqued," the lieutenant told Sammon. "Especially after that Palm Beach crap. They werent confused about the ballot. And yet it looked like their votes were going to be counted. But to hell with the military." Gores atttempt to invalidate the votes of Americas servicemen and women was part of a strategy outlined in a memo that fell into the hands of GOP lawyers. The memo outlined the steps Gores lawyers were to take in challenging absentee military ballots. One of Bushs lawyers was a Panhandle attorney named Ed Fleming. He had been recruited to join the small army of legal experts to help stave off Gores attempt to reverse the election results. "There was a rumor that there was going to be concerted, organized opposition to try to keep out the military votes, and so they asked me if I would monitor the situation here in northwest Florida," Fleming told Sammon. "I knew the county attorneys around here, so I called Tom Dannheisser, whos the county attorney in Santa Rosa County." Dannheisser told Flemming that he had gotten his hands on a five-page memo from a Democrat lawyer dated that day that spelled out the Gore teams shoddy game plan to disqualify military ballots. It was written by Mark Herron, a lawyer working for Gore in the postelection battle. "Herron distributed what obviously was

would monitor the situation here in northwest Florida," Fleming told Sammon. "I knew the county attorneys around here, so I called Tom Dannheisser, whos the county attorney in Santa Rosa County." Dannheisser told Flemming that he had gotten his hands on a five-page memo from a Democrat lawyer dated that day that spelled out the Gore teams shoddy game plan to disqualify military ballots. It was written by Mark Herron, a lawyer working for Gore in the postelection battle. "Herron distributed what obviously was intended to be a confidential memo to their lawyers, to give them reasons to challenge the ballots," Fleming told Sammon. "But one of the attorneys that they hired locally to do that said, 'Well, gee, this seems good. Ill just send it to the county attorney in advance, so hell know what points Im going to make at the canvassing board meeting. "So he sent it to the county attorney of Santa Rosa. It was one of the dumber lawyers that had been retained by the Florida Democratic Party," Fleming said. After having determined that the memo was a public record by virtue of having been sent to Dannheissers in his capacity as county attorney, Flemming carefully read what he realized was the Gore teams "smoking gun." The memo instructed Democrat lawyers to make "pettifogging objections to military ballots, especially those not postmarked. "I sent the memo up to Tallahassee that afternoon, and it all started from there," Fleming recalls with a chuckle. Upon receiving the Herron memo, the Bush command center in Tallahassee faxed it to Republican lawyers in all 67 Florida counties, Sammon wrote. The military ballots were to be publicly tallied the next day by canvassing boards across the state. The main battlegound was Duval County, home to more military families than any other county in Florida. Duval had more absentee ballots from overseas than any other county - 618 of 3,500 cast statewide. Five Gore lawyers showed up at the elections office at 9 a.m. Friday to disqualify as many of those ballots as possible. Tom Bishop, one of the Republican lawyers, was incensed as he watched the Democrats, armed with the smoking-gun memo, blatantly go about disqualify large numbers of military ballots. "They had their little cheat sheet they were using, and they objected on every single possible ground they could, no matter how spurious," Bishop told Sammon. "It was so bad that there was rolling of the eyes by even some of the Democrats there who were watching their lawyers work." Before Nov. 17, the Duval supervisor of elections compared signatures on ballot envelopes against signature cards on file. He could find only two absentee ballots that could not be included because the signatures did not match. "But now the Democrats insisted that they

using, and they objected on every single possible ground they could, no matter how spurious," Bishop told Sammon. "It was so bad that there was rolling of the eyes by even some of the Democrats there who were watching their lawyers work." Before Nov. 17, the Duval supervisor of elections compared signatures on ballot envelopes against signature cards on file. He could find only two absentee ballots that could not be included because the signatures did not match. "But now the Democrats insisted that they be allowed to compare all signatures, one by one. For seven tedious hours, they bitterly argued that signatures on more than 100 envelopes did not precisely match the signature cards - although some envelopes had been signed by sailors on rolling seas in hostile situations, Sammon wrote. "You could clearly tell it was the same persons signature, but they would object because it didnt have a certain curlicue or didnt have a certain twist or it was smaller," Bishop told him. The Democrat lawyers sought to disqualify military ballots that had no overseas postmark on the grounds that some voters might have marked their ballots a day or two after the election and then mailed them in. "But the Gore lawyers took this argument to absurd lengths by actually disqualifying ballots received before Nov. 7. One belonged to a sailor named John Russell, whose vote was unceremoniously thrown out. "I dont know how somebody in the Sea of Japan or the Indian Ocean could have miraculously gotten it here on the sixth of November if it was supposedly mailed after the election," Bishop told Sammon. "The whole idea behind the foreign postmark is to make sure its timely." The Gore lawyers also protested ballots on which the return address of the attesting witness was incomplete. They challenged ballots on which foreign postmarks were smudged or partially illegible. "Our goal was to challenge every vote that didnt appear legitimate," says Mike Langton, Gore campaign chairman for northeast Florida. By 7 p.m., the Democrats protested against 147 absentee ballots. The canvassing board agreed to hear formal arguments from the Gore and Bush camps. A full 19 hours after it began, the nightmarish battle over Duvals military ballots came to an end. When the canvassing board announced that the ballots of 149 soldiers, sailors and airmen had been disqualified, a pair of jubilant Gore lawyers actually exchanged high-fives for their victory against Americas service personnel. "A Republican, visibly shaken by this sight, demanded to know how they could celebrate the disenfranchisement of U.S. military personnel risking their lives around the world. One of the Gore lawyers glibly replied: A wins a win." Statewide, Gores henchmen had been able to disqualify 1,420

canvassing board announced that the ballots of 149 soldiers, sailors and airmen had been disqualified, a pair of jubilant Gore lawyers actually exchanged high-fives for their victory against Americas service personnel. "A Republican, visibly shaken by this sight, demanded to know how they could celebrate the disenfranchisement of U.S. military personnel risking their lives around the world. One of the Gore lawyers glibly replied: A wins a win." Statewide, Gores henchmen had been able to disqualify 1,420 ballots statewide - or more than 40 percent of the 3,500 cast. Dick Cheney, who had overseen the Persian Gulf war as secretary of defense, was infuriated by Gores attempted sneak attack on Americas servicemen and women serving their nation overseas, some in harms way. "Of all the dirty tricks attempted by Mr. Gore during the postelection struggle, Mr. Cheney considered this the dirtiest, Sammon wrote. "I have strong feelings about the right of our people in uniform to vote - and they, perhaps, above all others," Cheney told him. "Theyre out there putting their lives on the line for us. For the other camp to pursue a conscious strategy to try to disqualify their ballots, I thought, was bad form." Get "At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election," at a discount cheaper than Amazon.

http://rense.com/general5/hwoto.htm http://www.hench.net/z112000c.htm

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"Taking the Pulse of the Nation."

FULL TEXT: 5-Page Memo Overseas Ballot Protest by Dem Lawyer Herron
Source: Matt Drudge Published: November 15, 2000 Author: Mark Herron

The 5-page memo as obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT: Date: November 15, 2000 To: FDP Lawyer From: Mark Herron Subject: Overseas Absentee Ballot Review and Protest State and Federal law provides for the counting of "absentee qualied electors overseas" ballots for 10 days after the day of the election or until November 17, 2000. Sections 101.62(7)(a), Florida Statutes denes as "absentee qualied elector overseas" to mean members of the Armed Forces while in the service, members of the merchant marine of the United States and other citizens of the United States, who are permanent residents of the states and are temporarily residing outside of the territories of the United States and the Districts of Columbia. These "absent qualied electors overseas" must also be qualied and registered as provided by law. You are being asked to review these overseas absentee ballots to make a determination whether acceptance by the supervisor of elections and/or the county canvassing board is legal under Florida law. A challenge to these ballots must be made prior to the time that the ballot is removed from the mailing envelope. The specic statutory requirement for processing the canvass of an absentee ballot including of overseas absentee ballot, are set forth in Section 101.52(2) (c)2. Florida Statutes: If any elector or candidate present believes that an absentee ballot is illegal due to a defect apparent on the voter's certicate, he or she may at anytime before the ballot is removed from the envelope, le with the canvassing board a protest against the canvcass of the ballot specifying the precinct, the ballot, and the reason he or she believes the ballot to be illegal. A cahllenge based upon a defect in the voters certicate may not be accepted after the ballot has been removed from the mailing envelope. The form of the voter's certicates on the absentee ballot is set forth in section 101.64(1), Florida Statutes. By statutory provisions, only overseas absentee ballots mailed with an APO, PPO, or foreign postmark shall be considered a ballot. See Section 101.62(7)(c). Florida Statutes. In reviewing these ballots you should focus on the following:

1. Request for overseas ballots: Determine that the voter afrmatively requested an overseas ballot, and that the signature on the request for an overseas ballot matches the signature of the elector on the registration books to determine that the elector who requested the overseas ballot is the elector registered. See Section 101.62(4)(a), Florida Statutes. 2. The voter's signature: The ballot envelope must be signed by the voter. The signature of the elector as the voter's certicate should be compared with the signature of the elector of the signature on the registration books to determine that the elector who voted by ballot is the elector registered. See Section 101.68(c)x, Florida Statutes. 3. The ballot is properly witnessed: The absentee ballot envelope must be witnessed by a notary or an attesting witness over the age of eighteen years. You may note that these requirements vary from the statutory language from the Section 101.68(2)(c)1, Florida Statutes. Certain statutory requirements in that section were not proclaimed by the Justice Department pursuant to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Sec. DE 98-13. 4. The ballot is postmarked: With respect to absentee ballots mailed by absolute qualied electors overseas only those ballots mailed with an APO, PPO, or foreign postmark shall be considered valid. See Section101.62(7)(c), Florida Statutes. This statutory provision varies from rule 15-2.013 (7), Florida Administrative Code, which provides overseas absentee ballots may be accepted if "postmarked or signed and dated no later than the date of the federal election." 5. The elector has not already voted (duplicate ballot). In some instances, an absent qualied elector overseas may have received two absentee ballots and previously submitted another ballot. No elector is entitled to vote twice. (Please insert appropriate Fl. xxx.) To assist your review, we have attached the following: 1. A review Federal Postal regulations relating to FPO's and PPO's. 2. A protest form to be completed with respect to each absentee ballot challenged. 3. Overseas Ballot Summary of Denitions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Revised Overseas Ballot Summary of Denitions There are 3 different types of overseas ballots that are valid for return at the counties provided they are postmarked on or before November 7th. 1. Federal Write-In ballot Must be an overseas voter and must be eligible to vote and be registered under State law. Must have afrmatively requested an absentee ballot in writing and completely lled out request (including signature) Must comply with State laws applying to regular absentee ballots (such as registration requirements, notication requirements, etc.) Ballot contains only Federal races, and is considered to be a "backup" system if the regular state absentee ballot fails to arrive. The intent of the voter in casting the ballot should govern. In other words, minor variations in spelling candidate or party names should be disregarded in ballot counting so long as the intention of the voter can be ascertained. Must be postmarked as an APO, FPO, or MPO in a foreign country or at a foreign post ofce.

2. Florida Advance Ballot Sent out in advance of a regular General Election ballot with state and Federal candidates listed. Must be an overseas voter and must be eligible to vote and be registered under State law. Must comply with State laws applying to regular absentee ballots (such as registration requirements, notarization requirements, etc.) Must have afrmatively requested an absentee ballot in writing and completely lled out request (including signature) Sent prior to the second (or October) primary elections to all permanent overseas registered voters. Must comply with all State laws regarding signatures, witness requirements, etc. Must be postmarked at the APO, FPO or MPO in a foreign country or at a foreign post ofce. 3. Regular Overseas Ballot Sent after the second (or October) primary elections to all permanent overseas registered voters and voters requesting an overseas ballot from the county. Must be an overseas voter and must be eligible to vote and be registered under State law. Must comply with State laws applying to regular absentee ballots (such as registration requirements, notarization requirements, etc.) Must have afrmatively requested an absentee ballot in writing and completely lled out request (including signature) Full ballot with all candidates listed. Likely would take precedence over any advance or federal ballot also returned. Must comply with all State laws regarding signatures, witness requirements, etc. Ballot is designed by the county. Must be postmarked at an APO, FPO, or MPO in a foreign country or at a foreign post ofce. Below are the denitions for points of origin and postmark that are valid for military overseas ballots: 1. APO (Army Post Ofce) -- A branch of the designated USPS civilian post ofce, which falls under the jurisdiction of the postmaster of either New York City or San Francisco, that serves either Army or Airforce personnel. 2. FPO (Fleet Post Ofce) -- A branch of the designated USPS civilian post ofce, which falls under the jurisdiction of the postmaster of either New York City or San Francisco, that serves Coast Guard, Navy, or Marine Corps personnel. 3. MPO (Military Post Ofce) -- A branch of a U.S. civil post ofce, operated by the Army, Navy, Airforce, or Marine Corps to serve military personnel overseas or aboard ships. 4. Military Post Ofce Cancellation -- A postmark that contains the post ofce name, state, ZIP Cope, and month, day, and year that the mail xxx was cancelled. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Protest of Overseas Absentee Ballot As provided in Section 101.68(2)(c)(2), Florida Statutes. I, as an elector in __________ County,

Florida, hereby protest against the canvass of the overseas absentee ballot described below: County: ____________________________________________________ Precinct: __________________________________________________ The Ballot: ________________________________________________ Name of Voter: _____________________________________________ Address of Voter: __________________________________________ Reason for rejection: ______________________________________ ___ Lack of voter signature ___ Lack of afrmative request for absentee ballot ___ Request for absentee ballot not fully lled out ___ Signature on absentee ballot request does not match signature on registration card or on ballot ___ Voter signature on envelope does not match signature on registration card ___ Inadequate witness certication ___ Late postmark (indicate date of actual postmark) ___ Domestic postmark (including Peurto Rico, Guam, etc.) ___ No postmark ___ Voter had previously voted in this election ___ Other Signature of Person Filing Protest Print Name 11/15/00 HENCH adds: THANK YOU Matt Drudge! For the last 70 years, the Democratic party has been an ongoing, and GROWING criminal enterprise.

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http://freedomoutpost.com/2012/08/obama-campaign-sues-to-restrict-military-voting/

Obama Campaign Sues to Restrict Military Voting

While Barack Obama and the Democrats like to give lip service to our men and women in uniform, its what they do they betrays their rhetoric. He likes to get his picture with troops even though behind closed doors they are giving him the nger and sleeping during his speeches. This all makes things quite interesting when both the Obama campaign and the Democrat party are suing to restrict the militarys ability to vote in the upcoming election. Breitbart.com reports, On July 17th, the Obama for America Campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the Ohio Democratic Party led suit in OH to strike down part of that states law governing voting by members of the military. Their suit said that part of the law is arbitrary with no discernible rational basis.

Currently, Ohio allows the public to vote early in-person up until the Friday before the election. Members of the military three extra days to do so. While the Democrats may see this as arbitrary and having no discernible rational basis, I think it is entirely reasonable given the demands on servicemen and womens time and their obligations to their sworn duty. The National Defense Committee reports: [f]or each of the last three years, the Department of Defenses Federal Voting Assistance Program has reported to the President and the Congress that the number one reason for military voter disenfranchisement is inadequate time to successfully vote. So now we see the Democrat playbook come out again. We see the praise of the lips while they drive the knife into the back of our service men and women that they are using abroad in unconsitutional wars. While I disagree with Mike Flynn that they have more right to vote than the rest of us, I emphatically agree that they have the right to vote and that right should be defended by those of us at home. While Republicans have been battling for Voter ID laws, maybe they should include in that battle protection of the militarys vote. While all of this is beneath We all know what is coming in November. The race will probably be close and this is the Chicago style thuggery of applying pressure where the Democrats can in order to cheat in the elections. Make no mistake about it, attempts to restrict the militarys vote is an attempt at voter fraud.

Read more: http://freedomoutpost.com/2012/08/obama-campaign-sues-to-restrict-military-voting/#ixzz22RFtBkiq